Vented stopper



Oct. 11, 1938. L. J. BARTON VENTED STOPPER Filed March 7, 1956 w \VH5 a gu my INVENTOR.

LARRY J. BARTON BY M ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 11, 1938 OFFICE VENTED STOPPER Larry J. Barton, Oakland, Calif., assignor to 'Clorox Chemical 00., Oakland, Calif., a cor- 7 poration of Delaware Application March 7, 1936, Serial No. 67,678 5 Claims. (01. 215-56) My invention relates to a vented stopper, and more particularly to a stopper adapted for containers such as carboys and jugs 'for various chemicals, such as hypochlorite solutions, which have the characteristic of slowly evolving a gas.

In the handling of such chemicals, it is necessary to provide venting means in the container stopper to allow the escape of gas which is slowly given ofi by the substance in the container. The provision of a vent orifice in the stopper ofiers a problem, particularly with respect to liquid solutions containing salts such as occur in hypochlorite solutions. This is so because plugging or blocking of the vent orifice frequently occurs when some of the solution splashes on the stopper, leaving, after evaporation, anaccumulation of salt residue which plugs the vent orifice.

Heretofore, stoppers have been made of yieldable, compressible or elastic material, such as soft rubber, which when inserted into the mouth of a jug, carboy or similar container, will efiectively seal the mouth and thereby prevent the escape of the chemical solution in the container. The provision of a vent orifice through the relatively soft yieldable stopper is not satisfactory, because when the stopper is pressed into the mouth of the container, to seal tightly the mouth, the pressure causes compression of the stopper with consequent closing of the vent orifice. To overcome this diificulty, it has been the practice to provide the stopper body with an insert of comparatively hard and rigid material such as wood, hard plastic material, glass, porcelain, or hard rubber. A single vent orifice has been provided through the interior of the insert. Hence, when the stopper proper is inserted into the mouth of I the container, the pressure transmitted therethrough will not cause distortion of the relatively hard insert, and its vent orifice will not become closed.

Although the single vent orifice in the interior of the described relatively hard insert will not becomeclosed by virtue of distortion created by pressure, salt deposits which accumulate therein,

caused either by material being carried through the vent orifice as'gas evolves or by splashing of material against the insert, gradually plug up the orifice. It is impractical to form more than one orifice through the interior of the insert to provide for adequate escape of gas in case one orificebecomes clogged, because the insert is necessarily limited in size in order not to interfere with the compressibility of the stopper body, and because of the cost involved in iorming'more than one interior orifice.

My invention is designed to overcome the above described difiiculties, and has as one of its objects the provision of an improved stopper of the character related, which has vent means therein a1 lowing gas to escape with absolute certainty, and 5 in such manner that there is no chance of plugging or cementation of the vent means. I

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a stopper, of the character related,

which is of strong and economical construction.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a perusal of the following description thereof.

In general, the vented stopper of my invention includes a stopper body portion of comparatively soft and compressible material, such as soft rubher, and a relatively hard and rigid insert therein, preferably of hard rubber. Instead of providing a single vent orifice through the interior'of the insert, as has heretofore been employed, an orifice is formed between the outer surface of the insert and the inner surface of the'stopper body, by having the configuration of the insert different from that of the body aperture for the insert. Preferably, more than one of such orifices is provided, to insure adequate venting. The end of the insert and the end of the stopper body facing the container, are so related with reference to each other as to provide means whereby material splashing against the stopper can drain away before it reaches the'vent orifice, thereby protecting the container end of the vent orifice and'avoiding plugging of the orifice.

Reference will now be made to the drawing for a more detailed description of the invention.

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through one form of stopper of my invention; the section being indicated by line |l in Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken in a plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through another form of stopper; the section being indicated by line 3-3 in Fig. 4.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken in a plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the invention; the section being indicated by line 5--5 in Fig. 6.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken inthe plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig- 5.

Figure 7 illustrates still a further embodiment of the invention, in vertical section indicated by line 1-! Fig. 8.

Figure 8 is ahorizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line 8-8 in Fig. 7.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, this form of stopper comprises a stopper proper or body I of comparatively soft, compressible material, such as soft rubber, or cork. The body I is formed with an aperture 2 leading from the outer to the container end I thereof, and adapted to receive and grip tightly therein the hard and rigid, elongated insert 3, preferably of hard rubber, or any other hard material such as glass or'hard plastic material. The insert preferably extends beyond the container end of body I, and thereby provides protecting means against which splashing liquid can impinge, for a purpose to be subsequently explained. The configuration of the insert is different from that of aperture 2, by being provided with flutes or grooves 4 in the outside thereof, which, when the insert is placed in the body of the stopper, form a plurality of vent orifices 6 between the insert and the body I. It is desirable that these grooves 4 be comparatively narrow and deep; so that when the soft material of the body I is compressed as the stopper is inserted into the mouth of a container, such material will not enter, and thereby close the vent orifices.

Since the container end 3' of the insert projects beyond the container end I of the body I of the stopper, it extends also beyond the container ends 6 of orifices 6. Hence, plugging of the vent orifices is avoided, because the container end 3' of the insert, preferably pointed, acts as a means for shielding or protecting the container ends 6' of the orifices against splashing liquid which can readily drain away before reaching the orifices. Inasmuch as the grooves 4 are on the outside of the insert, they may be readily formed therein. A cup or recess 1 is formed in the top of the stopper to allow for back drainage of material carried out by evolving gas and which condenses on top of the stopper.

Although the vent orifices are preferably formed by providing the grooves 4 in the outer surface of the insert, as is illustrated in Fig. 2, the same effect may be produced by making the insert'triangular in shape as is illustrated by Fig. 4, or by forming the aperture in the body of the stopper triangular in shape and the insert circular in shape, as shown by Fig. 6. The aperture in the stopper body for the insert, need not be circular in cross section, even if the vent orifices are formed by grooves in the outer surface of the insert, as is illustrated in Fig. 8. It is to be understood, therefore, that the stopper of my invention, may have its vent orifices formed as shown in Fig. 2, or in any other of the ways mentioned. It is only necessary that the cross sectional shape of the insert be diiferent from that of the aperture in the body portion for the insert, and that the insert fit tightly in such aperure.

In the modification illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4, the same reference characters have been applied to indicate the parts corresponding to the parts illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. For certain types of chemicals having high concentration of salts, such as concentrated hypochlorite solutions, back drainage provided for by the recess 1 in Fig. 1, might cause plugging of the vent orifices. To overcome this, the top of the stopper adjacent the insert, in the Fig. 3 modification, is formed with a protuberance 8, preferably rounded. As a result, any material which might escape through the vent orifices, caused primarily by being carried therethrough due to the evolution of gas, can drain away from the orifices tothe'outside of the stopper, thereby minimizing plugging.

In the modification illust ated by Fig. 5, it will be noted that both the top of the stopper body I and the top of the insert 3 are relatively flush. However, the drainage and shielding effect for protecting the .container ends 6' of the vent orifices 6 against plugging, is provided for by a flared concavity or cup-shaped recess 9 in the container end I of thestopper body I and adjacent the container end 3 of insert 3, the stopper having a skirt to provide the recess '9. This enables the container end 3 of the insert to extend beyond the container ends 6 of the vent orifices 6 to protect the orifices against splashing liquids.

Fig. 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention, in which the top is rounded similar to the Fig. 3 modification and for the same purpose. The container end 3' of the insert 3 is considerably above the container end I of the body I of the stopper; and such body is provided with a flared recess 9 adjacent the container end of the insert. As a result, ample drainage is provided to preclude the plugging action previously referred to. I r

The recesses 9, in the modifications of Figures 5 and '7, are preferably but not necessarily flared.

In all embodiments of the invention, it will be observed that the container end of the insert and the container end of the stopper body are so arranged with respect to each other as to provide means for protection of the vent orifices, against splashing liquid. By the provision of the plurality of the orifices, adequate venting is provided; and at the same time, even should one orifice happen to become plugged by virtue of salt residue resulting from evaporation of splashed material, the remaining unplugged orifices will provide proper venting. I

The stopper to which the invention relates is generally employed for sealing containers such as large carboys or jugs adapted to hold large quantities of material. Since such containers are always handled upright because of their size and because one usually recognizes from the nature of the container the fact that it contains material of the character related, handlers will not usually turn over the container and there will consequently be no escape of the chemicals through the vent orifices. The vent orifices are of comparatively small size. Hence, foreign material can enter the container only with difficulty, and the container will be substantially completely sealed.

While this invention has been described with reference to containers for sodium hypochlorite solutions, it will of course be understood that it is applicable'to containers for any liquid that re quires venting and that tends to form an incrustation or deposit.

I claim:

1. A stopper of compressible material having an opening therethrough, an insert fixed in position in said opening, the contour of said insert being such as to form with the wall of the opening throughout the length of the latter a plurality of passages for permanently venting the stopper, said passagesv being unobstructed from the outside of the stopper to the bottle side thereof, the insert being of substantially uniform cross sectional shape throughout its engagement with the stopper and having its bottle end tapering, said tapering end continuously decreasing in cross section toward the bottle end of the insert, said passages opening into said tapered end, and

said tapered end extending below the lowermost point of engagement of said insert and said stopper.

2. A stopper as defined in claim 1, in which the bottle end of the stopper is provided with a skirt portion, the interior face of said skirt forming a downwardly and outwardly flaring recess.

3. A stopper as defined in claim 1, provided at the top with a protuberance the sides of which flare outwardly and downwardly to the circumference of the stopper to deflect away from the upper end of the passages liquid emerging therethrough.

4. A stopper as defined in claim 1, wherein the top of the stopper is provided with recess bounded by sloping sides.

5. A stopper of compressible material having an opening therethrough, an insert fixed in position in said opening, the contour of said insert being such as to form with the wall of the opening throughout the length of the latter, one or more passages for permanently venting the stopper, said passages being unobstructed from the outside of the stopper to the bottle side thereof, the insert being of substantially uniform cross sectional shape throughout its engagement with the stopper and having its bottle end tapering, saidtapering end continuously decreasing in cross section'toward the bottle end of the insert, said passage or passages opening into said tapered end, and said tapered end extending below the lowermost point of engagement of said insert and said stopper.

LARRY J. BARTON. 

